We’re all dependent on our phones to keep us connected 24/7 and to provide everything we want and need in just a few clicks. And having access to that technology definitely makes our lives better in some ways, but it’s so easy to get sucked into spending way too much time online. So if you want to disconnect this year, here are some healthy ways to make it happen.
- Join an accountability group, kind of - Find your friends who also want to unplug and plan get togethers where you can leave your phones at the door and just enjoy each other’s company. Try hosting a wine tasting, forming a book club, or starting a game night.
- Plan work lunch dates - Most of us end up filling our lunch break with time wasted online, so when you unplug, what will you do with that time? Ask a coworker to lunch, or meet a friend, or take a walk and eat outside while you get some vitamin D, and enjoy a break from work and technology.
- Give yourself a home project - Spend the time you’d normally get sucked into the Internet doing those projects around the house that you’ve been putting off. Clean out your closet, organize your pantry, or paint the kitchen with the extra time you’ve found.
- Get a workout buddy - Instead of spending half your time at the gym adjusting your playlist and snapping photos for Insta, bring a friend and talk to them instead.
- Schedule phone calls and Facetime - Spend an hour talking or Facetiming with loved ones instead of trying to keep up with text threads and messages. You can plan to talk when you both have time and devote your undivided attention to the person you’ve been missing.
- Make a reading list - Remember how much you loved reading? Now that the Internet isn’t sucking all your free time, you can read some of the page-turners you’ve been wanting to check out.
- Pass The '90s Test - Date like it was two decades ago. Only use your phone to set up a date, just like you would’ve in the old days before smartphones. Then make sure you’re on time, because you can’t text your date that you’re running late and bring a book to read, in case they’re late. And then while you’re on the date, don’t use your phone, and you’ll get a good idea of whether or not you’ve made a real connection, faster than you would’ve if you were hiding behind your phone.
Source: Whimn